2022 sees BATTS moving away from space collaborations and onto collaborating with one of her songwriting idols - Sharon Van Etten with her new single ‘Blue’. This comes with the signing announcement to Australia’s indie darlings ‘Mistletone’ and the launch of her own label I Feel Fine Records’ ahead of her Sophomore release.
BATTS has been touring Australia the past few years building up a resume of local and international supports with Sharon Van Etten, Lucius, The Teskey Brothers, The Magic Numbers, Nilüfer Yanya, Leif Vollebekk, Jess Cornelius, Didirri, and many more. In 2018 BATTS embarked on her first international tour to the UK, supporting Cub Sport and also playing shows with Communion Music and Sounds Australia.
A strong obsession with space and novels help inspire the concepts and writing within BATTS music. Creating soundscapes that take you on a journey, BATTS recently collaborated with the Planetarium in Melbourne to create a visual experience to accompany her debut album ‘The Grand Tour’, which was released into the world on April 12, 2019 through THAA Records and is a concept album based around NASA’s 1977
Little White Lies
Batts Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I would like to know
For if I know your secrets
I know something about you they don't
Smoke it dissipates around me
So I take another toke
Then I tell my doctor I don't smoke
Little white lies
Little white lies
Little white lies
I stopped breathing as a child
Found blue within my cot
When my mother found me
Her heart must of stopped
Now I'll leave this average party
Where I've bared my soul
Telling strangers secrets
I never wanted them to know
And they told me
Little white lies
Little white lies
Little white lies
Little white lies
The song "Little White Lies" by Batts is a poignant and introspective exploration of the power of secrets and the lies we tell to keep them hidden. The lyrics reveal a desire for connection and intimacy, as the singer pleads for someone to share their secrets with her. She recognizes that sharing secrets can be a way to truly know and understand someone, and in turn, be understood.
The use of smoke as a metaphor for the ways we try to obscure or hide our secrets is particularly effective. The singer takes another hit and then lies to her doctor about her smoking, illustrating the lengths we will go to keep our truths hidden. The repetition of the phrase "little white lies" underscores the idea that these small deceptions can add up over time to create a significant barrier between ourselves and others.
The song takes a dark turn as the singer reflects on a traumatic childhood experience, revealing that she nearly died as a baby and her mother was traumatized by finding her blue and unresponsive. This revelation adds depth and complexity to the lyrics, as it suggests that some secrets are too painful to share and may forever shape who we are and how we relate to others. Ultimately, the song is a powerful reminder that we are all burdened by secrets and lies, and that only by acknowledging and sharing them can we truly connect and find understanding.
Line by Line Meaning
Won't you tell me your secrets
The singer is requesting the other person to confide in them and share their secrets.
I would like to know
The singer is expressing their desire to know the other person's secrets.
For if I know your secrets
The singer believes that if they know the other person's secrets, it will reveal something about them that others don't know.
I know something about you they don't
The artist feels that knowing the other person's secrets will give them an advantage as they will know something about that person that others do not.
Smoke it dissipates around me
The artist is surrounded by smoke and implies that they are smoking something.
So I take another toke
The singer takes another puff from whatever they are smoking.
Then I tell my doctor I don't smoke
The singer lies to their doctor about smoking, indicating that they may not be honest with others.
Little white lies
The title of the song refers to the artist's tendency to tell small lies or half-truths.
I stopped breathing as a child
The artist reveals a past traumatic experience where they had stopped breathing as a child.
Found blue within my cot
The artist was found with blue color in their crib, indicating that they may have almost suffocated or choked on something as a child.
When my mother found me
The singer's mother discovered them in their crib when they had stopped breathing.
Her heart must have stopped
The artist suggests that their mother was extremely worried and scared when she found them in that condition.
Now I'll leave this average party
The singer decides to leave the party where they have been sharing personal secrets with strangers.
Where I've bared my soul
The singer confesses that they have opened up and shared intimate details about themselves with people they barely know.
Telling strangers secrets
The singer has been divulging secrets to people they don't know well.
I never wanted them to know
The artist regrets sharing these secrets as they had no intention of letting others know.
And they told me
The artist acknowledges that others also shared secrets with them.
Little white lies
The chorus repeats to emphasize the theme of the song - telling small lies or half-truths for various reasons.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Tanya Batt
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind